President Joe Biden on Tuesday hosted Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the White House to discuss NATO’s security and mark 20 years since Romania joined the military alliance. 

“You’ve exceeded every expectation,” Biden told Iohannis of its entrance to NATO during brief remarks at the top of the pair’s meeting. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden on Tuesday hosted Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the White House to discuss NATO’s security and mark 20 years since Romania joined the military alliance 
  • The Oval Office sit-down comes less than two weeks after Congress broke through a months-long standoff to approve Biden’s request for additional aid to allies in the Indo-Pacific, Israel and Ukraine 
  • Iohannis announced in March that he will run to be NATO’s next secretary-general, although Biden and many other leaders in the alliances have thrown their support behind Mark Rutte, the Netherlands prime minister

The Oval Office sit-down comes less than two weeks after Congress broke through a months-long standoff to approve Biden’s request for additional aid to allies in the Indo-Pacific, Israel and Ukraine. 

Almost immediately after the bill’s passage, the Department of Defense announced a $1 billion package for Ukraine containing air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons. 

The president had spent similar meetings with European leaders in recent months seeking to assure them that the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion and calling on the House to approve the additional aid immediately.  

On Tuesday, Biden and Iohannis were set to “underscore their continued support for Ukraine,” according to the White House. During the pair’s brief remarks, Biden thanked his Romanian counterpart for having “stepped up” to help the country. 

“What you’ve done and what we are going to continue to do together I think is going to be significant, not only for Europe, but for the whole world,” Biden said on Tuesday. 

Iohannis, for his part, thanked Biden for hosting him and called the transatlantic alliance “a cornerstone of our democratic way of life.” He said he intended to make progress toward a visa waiver for Romanian travelers to the U.S. but that the most important topic was “to find a way to reinstall peace” in Europe and to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t win.

Iohannis announced in March that he will run to be NATO’s next secretary-general, although Biden and many other leaders in the alliances have thrown their support behind Mark Rutte, the Netherlands prime minister. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say Tuesday whether that issue arose during the two leaders’ meeting, deferring to a readout that was expected later.

Earlier Tuesday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby did not answer questions about whether Biden would ask Iohannis to clear the way for Rutte. Selection of the next NATO secretary-general requires consensus.

“Nothing’s changed about our support for Mr. Rutte to be the next secretary-general,” Kirby said